Roy Romanow

The Honourable Roy Romanow PC OC SOM QC
Chair of the Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada
In office April 2001 – November 2002
Prime Minister	Jean Chrétien
12th Premier of Saskatchewan
In office November 1, 1991 – February 8, 2001
Lieutenant Governor	Sylvia Fedoruk Jack Wiebe Lynda Haverstock
Preceded by	Grant Devine
Succeeded by	Lorne Calvert
Saskatchewan Leader of the Opposition
In office November 7, 1987 – November 1, 1991
Preceded by	Allan Blakeney
Succeeded by	Grant Devine
3rd Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
In office November 7, 1987 – January 27, 2001
Preceded by	Allan Blakeney
Succeeded by	Lorne Calvert
Deputy Premier of Saskatchewan
In office June 30, 1971 – May 8, 1982
Premier	Allan Blakeney
Saskatchewan Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
In office June 19, 1979 – May 8, 1982
Premier	Allan Blakeney
Preceded by	new office
Succeeded by	John Gary Lane
Attorney General of Saskatchewan
In office June 30, 1971 – May 8, 1982
Premier	Allan Blakeney
Preceded by	Darrel Verner Heald
Succeeded by	John Gary Lane
Provincial Secretary of Saskatchewan
In office June 30, 1971 – May 12, 1972
Premier	Allan Blakeney
Preceded by	Darrel Verner Heald
Succeeded by	Edwin Tchorzewski
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
In office October 20, 1986 – February 8, 2001
Preceded by	Jo-Ann Zazelenchuk
Succeeded by	Lorne Calvert
Constituency	Saskatoon Riversdale
In office October 11, 1967 – April 26, 1982
Succeeded by	Jo-Ann Zazelenchuk
Constituency	Saskatoon Riversdale
Personal details
Born	Roy John Romanow (1939-08-12) August 12, 1939 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Political party	New Democratic Party
Alma mater	University of Saskatchewan
Profession	Lawyer

Roy John Romanow, PC OC SOM QC (born August 12, 1939) is a Canadian politician and the 12th Premier of Saskatchewan (1991–2001).

Early life

Romanow was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Ukrainian immigrant parents from Ordiv, Radekhiv Raion. His first language as a child was Ukrainian.^[1]

He studied at the University of Saskatchewan, earning a B.A. in Political Science and a LL.B. while involving himself heavily and early on in student politics.

Political career

Electoral record

Romanow had considerable electoral success, being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan eight times in the nine general elections from 1967 to 1999, as a member of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party.

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 1967 provincial election in the riding of Saskatoon Riversdale. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1971, 1975 and 1978. In the 1982 general election he was defeated by Jo-Ann Zazelenchuk, a 22-year-old retail employee, but easily defeated Zazelenchuk in a 1986 rematch, taking over 68 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1991, 1995 and 1999. He resigned his seat in 2001.

Member of the Blakeney government

Romanow served in the cabinet of Premier Allan Blakeney from 1971 to 1982. At various times, Romanow served as deputy premier and Attorney General for Saskatchewan.

During the 1981 discussions over patriation of the Canadian constitution, the federal Minister of Justice, Jean Chrétien, the Ontario Attorney General, Roy McMurtry, and Romanow worked out the final details of Canada's new constitutional provisions, resulting in the famous late-night Kitchen Accord. Romanow objected strongly to any protections on private property in the new Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and none were included.

Premier of Saskatchewan

On November 7, 1987, Romanow replaced Allan Blakeney as leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party and Leader of the Official Opposition. When the NDP won a majority of seats in the 1991 provincial election, he became Premier of Saskatchewan.

Romanow's government was more conservative than previous NDP administrations, and was considered a practitioner of Third Way policies. Romanow, who inherited a $14 billion debt from the previous Conservative government,^[2] eliminated the annual budgetary deficit by closing hospitals,^[3] cutting services and raising taxes.^[4] Romanow's government also had the benefit of substantially lower interest rates at a national level than did his predecessor in the 1980s. The Romanow NDP explained the cutbacks to the left wing of the party by claiming Romanow's range of political action was limited by the large debt accumulated by previous governments.

In the 1999 provincial election, the NDP was re-elected to a third consecutive term, but was reduced to a minority of seats in the legislature. Romanow along with Dwain Lingenfelter negotiated an agreement to form a coalition government with the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, appointing several Liberals to Cabinet. Romanow retired in 2001, and was replaced as leader of the NDP and Premier by Lorne Calvert.

Life after politics

Refusal to enter federal politics

Romanow was well-acquainted with Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister from 1968–1979 and 1980–1984. He remains a close friend of Jean Chrétien, who was prime minister from 1993 to 2003.

The federal Liberals, and especially Jean Chrétien, had long tried to encourage Romanow to run federally as a Liberal, but he always refused.

Federal Royal commission on the future of health care in Canada

On April 4, 2001, Romanow was appointed to head the Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, on the advice of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. He released the Romanow Report in 2002, which outlined suggestions to improve the health care system.

Honours

On November 13, 2003 he was sworn in as a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada by Governor General Clarkson, again on the advice of Prime Minister Chrétien.

In 2003, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was awarded the Saskatchewan Order of Merit. Romanow's official portrait was unveiled at Saskatchewan's Legislative Assembly in 2005, when he received the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan from Lieutenant Governor Lynda Haverstock.

Academic position

Romanow is currently Senior Policy Fellow at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan.

References

External links

• Article on Saskatchewan Order of Merit Appointment

Premiers of Saskatchewan Scott Martin Dunning Gardiner Anderson Gardiner Patterson Douglas Lloyd Thatcher Blakeney Devine Romanow Calvert Wall